It has been 22 years since the NASCAR and Motorsport world lost a legend. On this day, all the way back in 2001, Dale Earnhardt [https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/dale-earnhardt/] tragically lost his life during the Daytona 500 [https://www.essentiallysports.com/category/nascar/daytona-500/]. The 7-time NASCAR Cup Series champion will forever be revered in NASCAR history as one of the greatest drivers. Known as the Intimidator, Earnhardt Sr. was absolutely ruthless in terms of his on-track exploits. Love him or hate him, no one could ignore him, and he wouldn’t let anyone ignore him for long. Although it has been 22 years, the Earnhardt family still feels the pain of his loss. On the anniversary of his death, many in the Earnhardt clan paid tribute to the late legend. Among them were his son Kerry Earnhardt, Kerry’s wife Rene, and daughter, Kelley Earnhardt. Even Dale Earnhardt Jr’s wife, Amy Earnhardt, paid her own tribute by reacting to the tribute posts. As for Dale Jr. himself, even he would have planned a special tribute to his father. Kerry Earnhardt captioned the post, “Today is always hard not to be selfish for our family and so many others are reminded how much we miss him and the impact he had in this world. I didn’t get much of him in my lifetime, but what I did get will stay with me forever! Miss his words of wisdom.” READ MORE: “F**k This Sh*t”–Dale Earnhardt Jr Comes Clean on His Big Mistake With “A**hole” That He Regrets Now [https://www.essentiallysports.com/nascar-news-fk-this-sht-dale-earnhardt-jr-comes-clean-on-his-big-mistake-with-ahole-that-he-regrets-now/] WHAT LIES AHEAD FOR THE DALE EARNHARDT FAMILY? Admittedly, none of the Earnhardts are actively racing in the NASCAR arena. That is, unless you count Dale Jr’s annual one-off cameos in the Xfinity Series. Of course, they do have the JR Motorsports [https://www.essentiallysports.com/category/jr-motorsports/] team, which is family-owned. So even if there is no Earnhardt racing, there is still some form of representation. The best part is that the JR Motorsports team has been very successful in its division. WATCH THIS STORY: Dale Earnhardt Jr Comes Clean on His “What the ** Are You Doing” Daytona Wreck [https://www.essentiallysports.com/stories/nascar-news-dale-earnhardt-jr-comes-clean-on-his-what-the-are-you-doing-daytona-wreck/] Now, everyone will be eagerly waiting for the 2023 NASCAR season to kick off. As usual, the Cup Series kicks off with the Daytona 500, the race that took the late great Dale Earnhardt, 20 years to conquer. On the other end of the spectrum, it took Dale Jr. just six years to achieve the feat. The best part is that he did it again, nearly a decade later, and that would be his last ever Daytona 500 triumph. 

On the anniversary of the tragic passing of the late great Dale Earnhardt, many
of his surviving family members paid a touching tribute.

Dhruv George is a senior Motorsports author for EssentiallySports, having
authored nearly 12000 articles spanning different sports like F1, NASCAR,
Tennis, NFL, and eSports. He graduated with a PG Diploma in Journalism from the
Xavier Institute of Communications. Dhruv has also conducted interviews with F1
driver Pierre Gasly and Moto2 rider Tony Arbolino. He has been an ardent
follower of motorsports sport since 2001, holding Carlos Sainz Jr. and McLaren
in high regard.

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Dhruv George

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script

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“Hard Not to Be Selfish” – Dale Earnhardt Jr’s Wife & Siblings Pen Emotional
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<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>What is the Daytona 500?</strong></h2>
For any NASCAR fan, the Daytona 500 race holds a special place in their hearts. The most prestigious race in the Cup Series, a win at the revered race bestows limitless repute and honor to its victor. Often referred to as the unofficial "birthplace of speed", Daytona Beach, where the race has been held for over six decades, has a long and storied history. Currently, it features on the <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/category/nascar/nascar-cup-series/">NASCAR Cup Series</a> schedule as one of the four crown-jewel races and also features the highest winning prize among all Cup races.

[caption id="attachment_1627382" align="alignnone" width="1"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-1627382" src="https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/imago1024835900h.jpg" alt="Daytona 500" width="1" height="1" /> Daytona International Speedway plays host to the NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series for the Daytona 500 in Daytona Beach, FL, USA. Daytona Beach United States of America - ZUMAc04_ 20230219_zaf_c04_386 Copyright: xWalterxGxArcexSrxActionxSportsxPx[/caption]
<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>Origins of the Daytona 500</strong></h2>
While many stories about the origin of Daytona races date back to 1903 when two men challenged each other to a race to decide whose horseless carriage was the fastest, the sturdy stock car race at the iconic location came into being in 1959, courtesy of NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. And on February 22, in front of 41,000 people, the revered race planted its seed to mega-stardom. The inaugural race was the only instance when both hard top and convertible vehicles were allowed to race. Since then, the Daytona 500 has been much-awaited by stock car racing fans every year.

<img class="alignnone wp-image-2632995 size-full" src="https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/DoBedrfXoAAjZ5P-1.jpeg" alt="" width="3000" height="2400" />

And while the Daytona Beach, Florida location is already iconic, the track that hosts the Daytona 500 race is just as well-thought out and executed. Wanting to give fans an edge-of-the-seat thriller, Bill Frances Sr brainstormed alongside engineers to create a track that would have the highest banking, allowing cars to reach topmost speed. And soon the prospect presented itself in the form of a tri-oval with 31 degrees banking at turns and 18 degrees at the start/finish lines. With 2.5 mile in length, today, the race lasts 500 miles/200 laps.

The first-ever Daytona 500, called the <b>1959 First 500 Mile NASCAR International Sweepstakes at Daytona</b> back then, saw 59 cars competing. The winning purse of the inaugural race had a steep value of $53, 050, out of which Lee Petty took home $19,050 for his victory while the runner-up Beauchamp secured $7,650.
<h2 style="text-align: center"><span style="font-weight: 400"><strong>Why is the Daytona 500 called ‘The Great American Race’</strong></span></h2>
As one of the most iconic spectator sports events in America, the Daytona 500 definitely takes the cake when it comes to being NASCAR's crème de la crème. Throughout history, the event has often been compared to the Super-Bowl, the crown jewel of the NFL. However, many NASCAR enthusiasts haven't been too keen about that description and have placed the crown-jewel race way above the Super Bowl.

The Daytona 500 has also been synonymous with the President's Day weekend in every NASCAR fan's heart. From 1968 to 2011, the race was held on President's Day weekend every year. However, NASCAR decided to change that in 2012 with news of an NFL schedule revamp doing the rounds. As per reports, NFL was planning to expand its 18-game regular season and as per the new roster, the Super Bowl was to be held on the same day as the Daytona 500. Sensing a dent on viewership numbers, the stock car racing organization move the race. However, as the NFL season-expansion plans failed to reach fruition, the Daytona 500 was moved to its original calendar spot. Now, that's definitely a win-win!

While the winning purse of the Daytona 500 is already a stuff of legends, sitting atop with the largest return, the trophy being awarded to the victors isn't any less prized either. Called the Harley J Earl trophy, the prize has been named after legendary automobile designer, Harley Earl, who was also a close friend of Bill France Sr and a General Motors executive back in the day. Earl is most significantly known for being the Father of the Corvette. He has also been credited for designing the Firebird I prototype. The Daytona 500 race is full of prestige and perks for sure.

One other aspect that the race victor gets to experience is their car being showcased at the Daytona 500 experience, for one year in its race-winning condition. For the uninitiated, the Daytona 500 Experience is a museum and gallery situated next to the Daytona International Speedway.

[caption id="attachment_1948603" align="alignnone" width="1800"]<img class="wp-image-1948603 size-full" src="https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/imago0004296892h.jpg" alt="Daytona 500" width="1800" height="1200" /> Teilnehmerfeld der Daytona 500, v.li.: Martin Truex Jr., Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson, David Ragan, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Clint Bowyer, Carl Edwards, Brian Vickers und David Stremme - (ZUMAse4)[/caption]
<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>Highlights of the Daytona 500</strong></h2>
The inaugural Daytona 500 race in 1959 was won by Richard Petty's father, the legendary Lee Petty. The patriarch of the NASCAR royalty family clinched victory driving a 1959 Oldsmobile for Newton Chappell at the inaugural event outperforming Johnny Beauchamp. Charley Griffith, representing Red Bank, finished P3, while Cotton Owens and Joe Weatherly wrapped up the Top-5 positions.

<img class="alignnone wp-image-2491357 size-full" src="https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/lee-petty.jpeg" alt="" width="1600" height="1262" />

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Lee Petty's son isn't much far behind on the Daytona 500 record book either. With seven wins, <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/richard-petty/">Richard Petty</a> sits atop the most-wins list at the venue. What makes his feat even more legendary is the fact that Petty managed to clinch four of those titles in a single decade, in 1971, 1973, 1974 and 1979. The rest of his victories came in 1964, 1966 and 1981.

While the initial years of the Daytona 500 didn't see much vehicle policing, it soon became apparent that certain rules and restrictions would have to be put in place. One of the biggest instances of a change came in 1988 when former stock car racing driver and NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Allison's car went airborne and hit the catch fence at 200 mph at Talladega in May, the previous year. As a result, restrictor plates were made mandatory in hopes that they would stunt speed, which in turn would stop vehicles from going airborne.

Speaking of Bobby Allison, he also became the oldest driver to win the race at 50 years, 2 months and 11 days, in 1988. On the other hand, Trevor Bayne is the youngest Daytona 500 winner. Bayne was 20 years and 1 day old when he won the event in 2011.

Another revamp that hit NASCAR and the Daytona 500 was during the 50th anniversary of the Daytona 500 race, when 'Cars of Tomorrow' debuted for the first time in the stock car racing circuit. While the name might throw some people off, 'Cars of Tomorrow' simply entailed that the same roll cage, frame and body would be used in all kinds of race tracks as opposed to how crew members would need to build different cars for different tracks like superspeedways, road courses and short tracks.

The Daytona 500, being such a grand event, has often been associated with high-profile names. In a bid to make the event even more exciting, every year, the organizers bring in popular figures to serve as a Grand Marshal. While 'Captain America' famed Chris Evans graced the event in 2014, Nicholas cage stopped by in 2007. Even former US presidents Donald Trump and George W Busch served as the event's grand marshal in 2020 and 2004, respectively.
<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong> Qualifying Format of the Daytona 500</strong></h2>
Currently, the Daytona 500 sees 40 cars competing, out of which 36 sports belong to drivers whose teams have their own charters. The rest of the 4 spots, which are referred to as open cars and constitute teams that do not own a charter.

In its 65 year history, the Daytona 500 has had many revamps to its qualifying format. From two timed laps, the better of two laps, to the average of two laps, the crown jewel race has explored several avenues to decide its starting grid. However, what stuck and is currently in place is a two-race qualifying. The first race is a single-car qualifying where each driver takes up one lap. The Top 10 drivers from that round advance to the second round where their order in the main event starting grid is determined. The single-car runs decide the front row of the Daytona 500. They also decide the lineup for the qualifying races also referred to as <em>"the duels". </em>The starting grid is eventually decided on the basis of the duels.
<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>The Black Sunday of the Daytona 500</strong></h2>
The Daytona 500 was perhaps one of <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/dale-earnhardt/">Dale Earnhardt</a>'s greatest achievements. After chasing an elusive win at the track for about two decades of his career, the driver finally succeeded in finish P1 in 1998. However, just three years later, the same race would claim his life. It all happened on February 18, 2001, when the driver was competing in the final lap of the race. <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/nascar-news-nerve-wracking-crashes-that-changed-nascar-forever-edition-five-dale-earnhardt/">The driver slammed head-first into the retaining wall</a> after contact with Ken Schrader and Sterling Marlin. The driver had suffered from a basilar skull fracture and had died instantly upon contact. Earnardt's death triggered a wave of safety improvements in stock cars and are seen even today.

[caption id="attachment_2105958" align="alignnone" width="1920"]<img class="wp-image-2105958 size-full" src="https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/imago1029986512h-e1699811493626.jpg" alt="Dale Earnhardt Sr" width="1920" height="1080" /> US PRESSWIRE Sports-Historical Unknown date Daytona Beach, FL, USA: FILE PHOTO NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Winston Cup Series driver Dale Earnhardt Sr 3 waits in his car in the garage area at the Daytona International Speedway. Daytona Beach Florida UNITED STATES, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xUSAxTODAYxSportsx 5145564<br />Image Credits - Imago[/caption]

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<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>The changes of the name of the Daytona 500</strong></h2>
The Daytona 500 has seen a plethora of name changes till date. While the first-ever edition of the race was called the 1959 First 500 Mile NASCAR International Sweepstakes at Daytona, the name was changed the very next year to the Inaugural 500 Mile International Sweepstakes. The race, then, went on to be known as the Daytona 500 by STP from 1991 to 1993. On the year of Dale Earnhardt's passing in 2001, it was known as the Daytona 500 by Dodge. In 2007, a new name was coined yet again and this time, the race was called Daytona 500 by Toyota. From 1961 to 1990, 1994 to 2000 and from 2002 to 2006, the race was called Daytona 500 and since 2008, that's the very name that has stuck around.

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Daytona 500

Read on to know all about the glorious history, origins and lesser know facts about the crown-jewel race of NASCAR, the Daytona 500.

Daytona 500: Origins, Past Winners, Race Results

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On the anniversary of the tragic passing of the late great Dale Earnhardt, many of his surviving family members paid a touching tribute.

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"Hard Not to Be Selfish" - Dale Earnhardt Jr's Wife & Siblings Pen Emotional Messages Amid the Tragic Demise of 'The Intimidator" 22 Years Ago

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What lies ahead for the Dale Earnhardt family?